Pushing for funding: $150 million may be available to bring Amtrak rail service to northwest Illinois

Travis Morse

Monday

May 25, 2009 at 12:01 AMMay 25, 2009 at 3:27 PM

Area officials are pushing for state and federal funding to bring Amtrak rail service to northwest Illinois, and said there may be as much as $150 million available for this effort in the proposed Illinois capital construction plan.

Area officials are pushing for state and federal funding to bring Amtrak rail service to northwest Illinois, and said there may be as much as $150 million available for this effort in the proposed Illinois capital construction plan.

The capital plan, in its current form, has been approved by the Illinois General Assembly and awaits Gov. Pat Quinn’s signature, said State Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica. The Associated Press reports that Quinn recently said he wanted another $400 million added to the plan for high-speed rail, and that he wouldn’t sign the bill until legislators send him an operating budget and approve ethics reform.

Legislators then reportedly kept the plan from going to Quinn’s desk using a parliamentary move, the AP reports.

Currently, the $26-to-$30-billion capital bill allocates approximately $150 million for passenger rail service, but this could change as the plan undergoes revision, Sacia said.

“It’s definitely part of the proposal,” Sacia said of passenger rail funding. “We need to work on designating as much as possible to the continuation of rail service from Chicago to Dubuque.

Passenger rail, be it Amtrak or however it is designated, is an important part of the proposed bill.”
Sacia said he was part of a group of 19 legislators who met with Quinn recently to discuss transportation issues. Quinn seemed “very supportive” of allocating significant funding to the expansion of passenger rail service to this region, Sacia said.

This week will be a crucial part of the process, Sacia said, as there is a May 31 deadline in place for the state to approve its budget. Having a workable budget in hand will likely be a major factor in the Governor’s decision of whether to sign the capital plan, Sacia said.

Meanwhile, area officials continue to work on efforts related to the rail service expansion. Freeport Mayor George Gaulrapp said Monday that state lawmakers have been scrambling to add funding to the capital bill for passenger rail service.

On May 20, Gaulrapp said he visited the Capitol building in Washington D.C. with a group of lawmakers and officials to discuss transportation. The effort was led by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois.

“I’m very optimistic a portion of this (project) is going to be done,” Gaulrapp said.

Depot Project

The Lena Business & Professional Association, a volunteer group, is also continuing its work on a plan to build a railroad depot replica in Lena that organizers hope will become a major tourism draw and a future Amtrak rail service stop.

The project involves building a structure at 401 W. Main St. in Lena that would essentially be a “modern-day version” of the 1873 railroad depot that was formerly in Lena. The 1,800-square-foot structure will likely include a railroad museum, gift shop, public restrooms and a train observation platform may be built next to the depot replica.

Roger Schamberger, project coordinator for the depot initiative, said the depot project will move forward regardless of whether Amtrak rail service is brought to this region. Even so, having an Amtrak service stop in Lena would be a great addition to the village, he said.

Area officials will have to keep putting pressure on legislators to make sure funding for passenger rail service expansion is included in the capital plan, Schamberger said.

“If we’re going to get a piece of that pie, we need to keep the pressure on elected officials,” Schamberger said.

Approval Needed

The Lena depot project is currently awaiting approval of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

The IEPA will release a report indicating whether the depot site needs to be cleaned up further or whether it is ready to be developed, Schamberger said.

Once this approval is obtained, organizers will likely raise funding for the project for several months before starting construction. The depot replica portion of the project may cost an estimated $185,000. The actual construction of the depot is expected to take around four months, Schamberger said.

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